Happy Easter!" -

                                                               Happy Easter!" -

Easter is as great a holiday in Germany as it is in Russia. And yet there are some interesting differences.

The biggest difference is probably that Easter in Germany is celebrated at different times with Russia. This is due to the fact that churches in Western countries adopted the Gregorian calendar and not the Julian calendar like the Orthodox Church. According to the Gregorian calendar, spring starts 13 days earlier. Since Easter is always celebrated on the first full moon of spring, European Easter occurs earlier than Russian Orthodox. This year European Easter falls on April 12th.

There are many Easter customs in Germany. Here, too, there are Easter eggs, just like ours, but they are colored differently. By tradition, the ornaments have a different style. If in Russia it is customary to exchange painted eggs with friends and relatives, in Germany they remain with the family. The parents - or the Easter bunny - hide their eggs in moss nests they made themselves. On Easter morning, the children are sent to look for them. In the nests, children will find not only Easter eggs and chocolate, but sometimes also an Easter gift. Unlike Christmas gifts, Easter is usually given less.

Easter service on the night from Saturday to Sunday is the most important event of the whole holiday, especially for older believers. They greet each other on Easter not with the words: "Christ is risen!", As in Russia, but "Happy Easter!" The Easter Vigil also ends in Germany with a 40-day fast. Just like in the Orthodox faith, this time is not in order to lose weight, but in order to cleanse the soul - that is, to give up one's own vices and desires.

Easter Sunday is usually celebrated with thefamily. In Russia, as in Germany, coffee and a special cake are served. Instead of "Easter cake" in Germany, a pie in the shape of a lamb or a hare is served. Another German festive dish is the Easter lamb roast, which, depending on the region, is served with spetzels, ribbon noodles or even asparagus and sauce.

Celebration during Corona Virus

As for the coronavirus, in this respect, German and Russian Easter this year are no different from each other. Attendance at divine services will be banned both in Germany and in Russia. Unfortunately, this year it will also not be possible to use the holidays to spend time with family and friends. Therefore, this year, many families will celebrate Easter in a small circle, in their homes - in both countries - with their loved ones, and will watch the service online or on television.

Catholic Easter 2021: when is it celebrated and how it differs from Orthodox

Easter Catholics this year will be celebrated on April 4. Orthodox Easter will be almost a month later - on May 2. But the differences are not only in the dates.

Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ, is the most important holiday for both Orthodox believers and Catholics. And here and there he was installed by the church in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Catholic and Orthodox Easter almost never coincide, but they always happen on Sundays. The difference in dates is due to the use of different calendars. The fact is that Easter is usually celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. However, Orthodox Christians and Catholics refer to different calendars when calculating this date: some use the Julian, and others the Gregorian.

The second big difference between Catholic Easter and Orthodox Easter is in fasting. In Orthodoxy, Great Lent is one of the longest and strictest, it lasts 48 days and in many of them only food is allowed without heat treatment. In the Catholic Church, such a strict fast is only on certain days: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The third difference is the festive meal. For Orthodox Christians, one of the symbols of the holiday is the Easter cake. For Catholics, other baked goods, such as cinnamon rolls or cake, can be placed on the festive table instead.

In addition, Catholics associate Easter with chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies. However, dyed chicken eggs can also be on the festive table. True, if the Orthodox often paint them red, which symbolizes the blood of Christ, and in the West it is customary to paint eggs in calmer, pastel colors or make them multi-colored. Click to learn more